Cousin vs Cousin
by huntiksecrets
Summary: We all know that Jack and Kai have a problem. But where did it start? Find out about their troubles, the fight, and the aftermath. I do not own Kickin' It.
1. The Invitation

I was going to China. I couldn't believe it. "I cannot believe this. I am going to the junior world martial arts championships in China!" I said enthusiastically.

Milton chimed in, saying, "I was gonna go, but I'm not what they call, you know, good."

I couldn't stop thinking about it; I was soooo excited. "Guys, I've been dreaming about this tournament since I got into martial arts. How did this happen?"

"Mm," I hear Rudy hum, channeling my excitement into his short, preteenish body. "I may know how it happened. I might have taken it upon myself to write a letter about a certain student, and possibly sent it to, oh I don't know, China."

Jerry looked over at Rudy with a confused look. "Dude, this is important. Try to remember. Did you do it or not?"

"Of course I did it. Jack's amazing. He's undefeated. He's never lost a match in his life." I felt the familiar pulsing pain in my knee.

"Rudy, can I talk to you outside for a second?"

FLASHBACK

I remember people, my parents, my grandfather, and the EMS personnel. But I don't remember what actually was happening.

All I remember is lying on the mat in agonizing pain.

I remember being placed on the stretcher, screaming as they shifted my leg into a straight position. The ambulance doors closed and I felt the hatch as the truck started driving away.

My mom was in tears and my grandfather was just standing there, next to my cousin Kai. Kai had a smirk on his face the size of his ego.

I had just lost my first match ever, to Kai for crying out loud! But all I could think about was the pain.

END OF FLASHBACK

As we reach the doors, I hear Jerry, Eddie, and Milton talking about fortune cookies. Man, they are weird. I take a deep breath. "Rudy, not everything you told those people about me was true."

"Please, everybody stretches the truth," said Rudy with his typical crazy attitude. "I do it all the time on my online dating profile. I'm not really a bathing suit model."

"Rudy, I'm not undefeated. A kid named Kai beat me so badly that I gave up karate till I came here." I was not going to tell him that I could do karate until basically the time I got here. Well, a year's difference. But doesn't really matter, right?

"Jack, it doesn't matter. You deserve this. And that's why they sent you two first-class tickets to China. You get to bring someone—an adult, a mentor, perhaps someone who is both her and a man."

Kim smiled, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "It'd be great if we could all go."

"Wait, first-class tickets are really expensive. Maybe I could trade them in for six coach tickets."

"It's settled. Jack and I are going alone first-class—endless legroom, our own entertainment systems, and hot nuts."

"I'm just saying, it'd be great if we could all—" Kim said with her typical sass.

"I said hot nuts, Kim!" Rudy screamed, his eyes bugging out of his head.

The guys walked out of the dojo. I put on a smile, trying to rekindle the excitement I had had just moments before. "Guys, we're all going to China."


	2. The Arrival

FLASHBACK

The sirens howled over the voices of the paramedics. I felt my body shift as we fly around another corner. My consciousness was going in and out, probably from the pain-killers I had been injected with.

I could feel my mom holding my hand, but I didn't shift my head to look at her face. I couldn't bring myself to see her tears.

The paramedics were shuffling around me, asking my mom all types of questions about what happened. "He was kicked in the leg," I heard her say through her tears.

I tried to focus on the ceiling, hoping that some of the pain in my leg would subside if I didn't focus on it. I grimaced as one of the paramedics touched my knee. "Must have been a really hard kick," he said, his voice cloaking concern with sarcasm.

It felt like only a few seconds had gone by when I felt the ambulance slow to stop in front of the hospital. The doors opened, blinding me with the sudden sight of the Californian summer sun. Everything faded into black.

END OF FLASHBACK

Jerry stepped on my feet, bringing me back to the reality of where I and the rest of the Wasabi Warriors were standing. "All right, this is amazing! We are actually standing on the Great Wall of China."

"Just think," Rudy said with his typical sarcastic voice. "Thousands of years ago, the emperor could've stood right here, leaned out over the edge of the wall and yelled, 'You darn kids aren't getting your ball back!'"

Kim was engrossed in her book about the Great Wall. "This thing is over 3700 miles long," she said laughing. "The biggest landmark back in Seaford is the water tower somebody spray-painted 'fart' on."

"Well, this wall is awesome," said Milton, obviously wanting to be somewhere else. "But you know what else is awesome? Cookies with fortunes that come true. So we're gonna head over to the Panda Moon Cookie Company."

"It turns out it's just a few miles from here," Eddie chimed in enthusiastically.

"Once we get the other half of that fortune," said Milton confidently. "We'll be able to find where our treasure is."

"Guys, Jack's tournament starts in a couple of hours. Don't get lost." Rudy actually sounded better serious about this one, which was really rare.

Jerry smiled. "Don't worry, we won't be late. I found a great cab driver." I laughed. Putting Jerry in charge of anything was a bad idea.


	3. The Pep-Talk

"Who's the man? You're the man! Say it!" Rudy yelled at me, pumped for the tournament to start.

I looked at him and said sarcastically, "You're the man."

Rudy looked at me, pleased that I was doing what he asked. "Right! No, no, no, I'm not the man. You're the man. I'm just a man. Just a man in the world of men and some women…" I looked at Rudy, smiling at his enthusiasm.

FLASHBACK

"Remember the Wasabi Code: We swear by the light of the dragon fire to be loyal and honest and never say die." My grandfather said to Kai and I. We both had on our gees, black belts strapped around our waists.

I smiled at my grandfather. I loved karate and I was ready to fight. I was pumped, but not too pumped to see the sinister smile across Kai's smug face. Our match was about to being.

As Kai walked over to the mat, I felt a hand around my forearm. I turned around to see the worried expression on my grandfather's face. "Be careful Jack. I think Kai may try something today."

I smiled back. "I will be fine, I promise." I walked over to the mat, approaching Kai, ready for the fight.

END OF FLASHBACK

Kim ran into the room. "Hey, Jack. Jack, I was down at the market and I picked you up these baoding stones." She smiled so proud of herself.

"Oh, I kinda had my heart set on a glow-in-the-dark ninja bobblehead, but no, no, rocks are cool." I said.

"By rotating them in your hand," she said with impatience in her voice. "It will center you, build your chi and help you compete." I nodded as I now understood why she had bought them.

"Hey, can I see those for a second?" Rudy asked, taking the stones and chunking them behind him. "What is wrong with you? Why don't you hop on your unicorn and ride to yoga class, moon princess? We don't need your magic rocks." I stared straight at Rudy with disbelief, wondering what Kim was thinking.

"Right, right. He need you telling him 'the pain train is on the Jack track.' What does that even mean?" Kim yelled at Rudy.

Rudy tried to come up with something on the spot. "It means that Jack needs to come out swinging and show them that this is his house!" Rudy slammed his fist into the table on his left, breaking it in half.

Moments later, one of the sensei approached Rudy. "Do you realize you just broke a thousand-year-old table?" he said.

Rudy looked at him with disbelief. "You've had that table for a thousand years? You people ever hear of a garage sale?" I laughed at Rudy as I approached the mat, ready to fight.


	4. The Tournament

I was starting worry about the guys, they should have been back by now. The sensei signaled for me to approach the mat. I could feel the pant leg of my gee tighten as I walked, hoping that it was not obvious that I was wearing brace on my knee.

"Hey, can we wait, like, five minutes?" I asked the sensei. "I'm sure my friends will be.."

The sensei dropped his hand for the fight to start. Immediately I was kicked with the stomach, falling onto the floor.

I flipped over my shoulder, looking stunned. "Or we can just go now," I said sarcastically. I jumped to my feet, ready to take on my opponent.

The fight lasted only a few seconds. I was the one still standing. I had won my first match of the day.

Throughout the day, I fought more competitors, always coming up as the victor. I was definitely worried about my friends, lost in China, but I was so pumped on adrenaline that I did not stop to text them.

I finished another fight, again winning. "Yes!" I heard Rudy scream in the background. I jogged over to him, giving him a double-high-five.

Kim was smiling so big. "Jack, you did it!" she said. "You're in the final!"

I look up at Rudy, ready for him to say something. "Now as your sensei, I know you look at me as the guy that is responsible for your success. But I want you to know that in some small way, you're a part of it too."

I can't help but laugh. "Thanks, Rudy," I remark, looking up to see the biggest smile on his face. I know he is proud of me. My grandfather would have been proud of me, too.

I heard noises coming from the mat. _Wow, someone must be getting a brutal betting_, I thought to myself. "Get up, punk!" I heard the victor yell.

"Looks like the other semi-final is over." Kim said, obvious nervous for me to fight that big goon.

Rudy pointed across the room. "That's your opponent in the championship."

My jaw drops as I look at my cousin. "That's Kai," I said, hoping that the sound of fear wasn't in my voice.

Kai walks over to me, the familiar smirk on his face. "I saw your fights, Jack," he stated, trying to be superior. "Surprised to see you here."

I could not help but engage in this conversation. "I thought I'd swing by and pick up a trophy or two," I said, trying to sound confident.

Kai snickered. "That's funny. I thought I beat the karate out of you two years ago."

I could not help but look down at my knee, a dull pain throbbing. "Well, I'm a lot better fighter than I was two years ago. And your breath is worse."

"Listen, loser, this time when I take you down, you're not getting back up." I felt myself tense, remembering the pain of the last time I fought Kai. I hadn't gotten up then either, so what did he mean now?

"He's not afraid of you, Kai!" Kim yelled, trying to help me. But it don't work. My fear of Kai resurfaced. "Right, Jack?" she asked.

"Kim, I can't beat this guy." I turn my back, walking away. I feel tears stinging my tears.

"Jack, think about everything that I taught you. Think about everything your grandfather taught you." Rudy stated. "He was a master sensei."

I couldn't hold it in any longer. "He taught the same things to Kai. Kai's my cousin." Kim and Rudy just stood there, stunned by what I had just said.

Rudy tries to sit down, but breaks the chair instead. I laugh, remembering the vase that he had broken during one of my fights. "You really need to get some stronger furniture in here!" Rudy yelled, fighting the pieces of chair that were still on him.


	5. The Enemy

I was packing up stuff into my bag, the pain of my knee throbbing. I guess that Rudy and Kim noticed that something was wrong.

"What happened between you and Kai?" Rudy asked sympathetically.

I stood up, trying to decide how much I should tell them. I sighed. "We both studied with our grandfather, but to Kai, it wasn't about honor and discipline. It was about intimidation and hurting people." _With the intention of hurting me_, I thought.

"Jack, it doesn't matter. You can take him." Kim said, trying to cheer me up. But all I could think about was Kai.

FLASHBACK

We trained every day. And every day, we got better and better. Kai knew my weaknesses, but I knew his. Every day, after school, Kai and I would work for hours, strengthening yourselves and each other. We were both ready for the national trials.

My grandfather always seemed to favor me. And I knew why. I had seen Kai intimidating kids almost every day in the cafeteria. Looking back, he reminds me of Frank. But a million things better. Kai didn't care how he won; he just had to win.

As my body hit the mat, a white-piercing pain flowed through my body. "Get up you, little punk," Kai screamed at me. More than anything, I wanted to get up and fight my cousin. I wanted to beat him for my grandfather, for myself. But the pain just keep growing; I could not move.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Yeah, you are not gonna give up on yourself, not after I flew all the way out here in coach, stuck between a screaming baby and a guy who cleaned himself with his tongue."

I came back into reality. "Maybe you guys are right. My grandfather taught me to live by the Wasabi code: We swear by the light of the dragon's eye, to be loyal and honest and never say die."

Rudy looked at me with pride. "Never say die, Jack."

"I don't know if I can beat Kai, but he's gonna know he's been in a fight."

"Why didn't you tell us Kai was your cousin?" Rudy asked inquisitively.

"My family were really embarrassed of Kai." I had to change the subject from Kai and I. "And my Uncle Carl, who wears flips-flops to the post office."

"That's not so weird." Kim said, wondering what to think.

"It is if that's all he wears," I said, walking away from my friends. "You do not wanna know where he keeps his stamps."


	6. The Fight

CHAPTER 6: THE FIGHT

Feeling refreshed after a shower in the locker room, I walked out to the mirror to fix my hair. I paused for a minute to listen to the weird noises that the toilet was making. "Man, two thousand years old, and that toilet still flushes better than the one at the dojo," I said with a smile on my face.

As I look into the mirror, I notice that three guys dressed as ninjas enter the locker room. I don't question it at first, I mean I live with Bobby Wasabi. Suddenly, I see the look in their eyes; I realize that they were here for me.

FLASHBACK

The look is familiar to me. It is the same look that Kai gave me before our last match.

The sensei signals for the fighting to begin. Kai and I circle the mat, waiting for the other to make the first move. Kai moves closer to me, kicking high with his left leg. I block the kick with my arm. I knew this was going to be a hard fight.

END OF FLASHBACK

I get into the fight. I mean, three-on-one isn't really fair. _It has to be Kai and his friends._ I manage to grab one of the bo staffs from one of the guys. But in the fight, I find my hands locked on the wall. From over my shoulder, I see a bo staff coming down on my hand.

"Oww!" I yell, my hands releasing the bo staff as I fall to the floor. A pain throbs through my wrist, almost unbearably. I look up to see one of the guys with a tiger tattoo standing over me with a bo staff. _I'm about to get my butt kicked_, I think to myself.

FLASHBACK

We had been fighting for about a minute and a half, but it felt like only seconds. I could tell that Kai was getting tired, but I also knew that I was tiring too.

Kai kicks up high toward my face. I block the kick, but it gets me off balance with one leg in front of the other. Kai comes for another kick. But instead of kicking up like normal, his foot makes contact with my knee.

I feel an intense blinding pain in my leg as I hear a sickening pop. I feel my body hit the mat hard. Tears are pooling in my eyes.

The sensei calls for an illegal strike by Kai, pulling him away from me. I guess that everyone expected for me to get up, but I could move. I hear my grandfather call for the paramedics as my mother screams. There is commotion around me, noises of the paramedics running towards me and the audience shuffling around uncertain of what to do. I feel hands of my shoulders and a hand touching my leg.

"Oww!" I scream.

END OF FLASHBACK

Just then, the door opens wide and Kai runs in. He grabs the staff just before the guy brings it down in my face. Kai takes down the three guys within seconds, sending them running for the door. "Come on," he screams.

Kai turns to face me, letting out his hand to help me up.

FLASHBACK

"Son, can you tell me where it hurts?" asked one of the paramedics.

"My leg, my left leg." I let out raspy words through my sobs.

"Okay, let me take a look." He responds. "It looks like the knee is dislocated. We need to get him on the gurney," he says to his coworkers.

The paramedics straighten out my leg as I scream in pain. I feel my body lifted slightly of the mat, as I was placed on the hard plastic of the gurney. As I let the tears continue to fall, I feel my mom grab my hand. I wanted to face Kai more than anything, but the pain and weakness in my body was overwhelming. I felt myself fade out of consciousness as I saw my scorn-looking grandfather and my smirking cousin.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Awww," I moan as he raises me from the floor. I keep my arm close to my body, careful not to move it. I gasp out the words "Kai, thanks man."

"Who were those guys?" Kai asks with a questioning look.

"I don't know," I sigh. "I kinda feel like a jerk. I thought you were one of them."

"Come on, Jack. We're still cousins," he retorts.

I held back a laugh, feeling the pulse in my knee again. "Well, who'd jump me like this?"

"You just beat four of the best fighter in the world. Some of them don't like to lose. You alright?" Kai asks, trying to sound genuinely concerned.

"I don't know," I replay, trying to keep my emotions in check. I open and close my fisted hand. "My hand really hurts. Aww!"


	7. The Doctor

Chapter 7: The Doctor

The doctor pulled the brace over my wrist as I grimaced. "Jack, after a thorough examination of your hand," he began, only to be interpreted by Rudy's whimpers in the background. "I'm afraid I have to be honest with you...and based on my diagnose..."

"Rudy!" Kim snapped.

"Jack, your hand is broken." My mind was racing. "You can't fight in the tournament tonight." I felt my heart drop.

FLASHBACK

The morphine was pumping through my whole body by now, leaving me in a dull haze without pain. For the past two hours, the doctors had taken two sets of xrays and a MRI scan of my knee.

I was lying on a hospital bed with my leg raises by a pillow. My grandfather was sitting next to the bed, gazing out of the window. My parents were sitting on the wall, whispering about something.

The doctor walked into the room, pretending to be reading the clipboard in his hands though I know he had already read the whole thing. "Jack, after looking at all the tests," he stated. "I have some news for you."

The doctor walked over to place several xrays where my family and I can see them. He points to several location on the pictures, but I am not really listening. I hear phrases like "torn ACL and MCL", "dislocated patella which caused a fracture" and "fractured femur". I don't want to know what my injuries are. I just want to know when I can get back to martial arts.

After several minutes of my parents talking about the recovery and what was needed of them, I decided to speak up. "When can I do karate again?"

My grandfather just stared at me, at the brace on my leg. "It's going to be a while, Jack," my mom said sympathetically.

END OF FLASHBACK

I stood up, shocked and hurt by the news. "What? No. No! No, I didn't come all the way out here to forfeit," he said with irritation in my voice.

The doctor looked at my sympathetically while packing up his things. "I'm sorry," he said over his shoulder as he exited the locker room.

Kim began to talk, trying to coax me out of the depressed state I was sliding into. "I know thing's didn't turn out the way you wanted, but you proved you belonged here!"

"Right here," Rudy added, become the concerned friend he was instead of my sensei. "With the best in the world. I'm really proud of you."

I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes_. It was just like before_, I thought. _I am forfeiting to Kai because of an injury again._ But I have to keep it together for my friends. I had to pretend that I was stronger than I really was.

I looked up to notice that Rudy was about to lose it. He continued talking. "Now, I'm just gonna walk behind those lockers and if you hear what sounds like a grown man crying…" He let out a whimper, and I knew that he was feeling the same way I was feeling. "It's probably just the pipes!" he squealed, running into the showers to hide the tears.

I looked at Kim, hoping to find relief from this feeling of despair. Kim had a smug smile on her face, trying not to laugh that Rudy for his teenage-like behavior. I couldn't help but smile back.

Rudy yelled from the showers, with the sound of tears in his voice. "Stupid pipes!"


	8. Kai's Revenge

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket while the drums were pounding in the closing ceremony. "I just got a text from the guys," I informed Rudy and Kim, who were sitting next to me. "They said they're sorry I had to forfeit. And they'll be here as soon as they ditch the wives."

Kim gave me a puzzled look. "What does that mean?" she asked.

"Uh, try to stay hip to the jive, Kim," Rudy said quickly. "'Ditch the wives' is what the kids today say when something is cool or rad." I couldn't help but laugh to myself. "Hey, Jack," Rudy continued. "Check out that judge's beard. It's so ditch the wives."

The head sensei took the trophy off of the pedestal. "And now this year's junior world martial arts champion—Kai, would you please come up here?"

Kai quickly walked over to grab his prized trophy. "Yeah!" he gloated, making sure to glance in my direction.

FLASHBACK

I was on crutches for months. Then had to wear a brace for months after that. I was constantly in pain and my mom couldn't help but baby me. I was failing all my classes at school because I was always exhausted from getting around during the school day. My mom was working double shifts almost every day trying to make money to pay all of my medical bills. But worst of all, my grandfather wouldn't let me come to the dojo.

Kai had apologized numerous times to me, saying that it was a complete accident. I knew that he only did it because my grandfather was forcing him. But it don't make anything better.

I went to physical therapy three days a week after school. I never knew that anything could hurt so badly. Every time I would go, I would fight the tears in my eyes more than the exercises that the doctor had me doing. And then when I got home, I would cry myself to sleep out of exhaustion. I cried due partly to the pain but also partly because of how terrible my life was those days.

After months of therapy, my doctor finally gave me the okay to start practicing martial arts again.

END OF FLASHBACK

"I'm gonna go congratulate Kai." I said, standing up from my chair.

"Congratulations, Kai," I said as I reached him. I turned to see him hugging a guy with a familiar tattoo on his forearm. Everything clicked instantly in my mind.

"This guy a friend of yours?" I asked quickly, grabbing his wrist with my good hand.

Kai looked at me with anger. I knew that he knew that I know. "Yeah. Why?" he retorted.

"'Cause he's got the same tattoo as one of the guys that jumped me!" I said with anger.

FLASHBACK

On the first day back in the dojo, my grandfather told me to take it easy. So he put me in a beginner class. I was a little bummed, but at least I was doing martial arts again. But the whole time, Kai and his friends were taunting me. "Look at the black belt in the beginner class!" they said.

That was bad enough. I went home and cried myself to sleep again that night. My knee was throbbing in pain the next morning. I pulled up my pants to see that my knee was swollen.

As I entered the hallway at my middle school, a lot of the students turned to look at me as I limped down to my locker. I noticed that some of the kids for holding flyers; I knew what was going on. As I reached my locker, I saw a flyer with my picture on it. It was me practicing karate in the beginner class. _White belt for Jack!_ the poster read.

A petition was passed around the dojo asking for my grandfather to strip me of my black belt. Kai wanted to duel for my belt. My grandfather couldn't live the petition down. Parents were starting to call in, agreeing with Kai and his petition.

One afternoon my grandfather took me into his office. "Jack, I'm sorry! But I can't live down this petition that Kai has made. I need you to quit."

I was shocked by what my grandfather had just said to me. "No!" I exclaimed. "I am not quitting because of Kai!"

I stormed out for his office.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Jack, you had to forfeit. I won. Let it go," Kai said gruffly.

I realization hit me: "You won because you were afraid to fight me," I yelled at him. _Just like before_, I thought to myself. "So you sent your friends to take me out."

"You better watch your mouth," Kai retorted. "You're still just a little punk."

My blood boiled as I yelled back at him. "And you're still a liar, a cheat, and a coward. But enjoy your trophy, champ!" I stormed off.


	9. The Showdown

FLASHBACK

The morning after I had stormed out of my grandfather's office, I was walking to school when Kai and his friends came out of a shadowed alley. I knew that this was the fight that Kai had wanted.

Kai was the first one to throw a kick. And he went straight for my knee. I was down on the ground in blinding pain before the first punch ever reached my face. When they were done, they just turned and continued on their way to school.

After what felt like hours, I felt a hand touch my arm. I opened my eyes to see my grandfather's face. He was in tears. He gathered my bruised body into his arms as I grunted in pain.

I made a decision in my mind that moment when he carried me out of the alley. I was going to quit martial arts forever. Now Kai had now not only hurt me, but he had hurt my grandfather too.

END OF FLASHBACK

As I walked away from Kai, I felt a foot make contact with my back. I couldn't help myself as I fell to the ground, landing directly on my already broken hand.

"That is so no ditch the wives!" I heard Rudy yell as he and Kim stood up in my defense. "Back up!" Rudy said, as he and Kim gathered Kai's friends from making it an unfair fight.

Kai and I fought, making our way out onto the wall. A few times I forgot that my hand was busted and tried to use it to deflected Kai's kicks. I couldn't help but groan in pain. I got Kai off balance and managed to push him into the Samaria manikin.

Kai only pushed the manikin off of himself and grabbed the bo staff from the costume. He lounged towards me again. As we fought, I jumped onto the wall. For a moment, I lost my balance, having to grab on to the bo staff to regain my balance. Kai flung the staff over his shoulder, throwing me on the ground. As I groaned from the impact, Kai went for my head. After I rolled out of the way, I grabbed ahold of the staff with both hands. In one swift movement, I managed to break Kai's grasp on the staff. But in that moment, Kai went flying over the edge of the wall. Instinctively, I grabbed his hand before he plummeted to the ground.

"Okay, Jack, I'm sorry." Kai said as I struggled to keep his grasp. "I'll admit it. I planned the attack against you. Just don't let me fall," he cried.

"Don't worry. I've got you, man," I said, starting to pull him up. "Come on. Get up. Come on over."

Kai slung his body over the wall. Panting, he stood up, looking at me with that familiar look of anger. "That proves you're weak," Kai grunted. "I would've let you drop."

Kai reached for my injured hand, punching hard down on the brace. I groaned as a sharp pain ran through my hand and up my arm. _I can't let Kai win again, _I thought to myself. So as Kai came in to kick my knee, I grabbed his leg, throwing him into the bench on the side of the wall.

"Okay. I think everybody saw I was nowhere near that bench!" Rudy screamed as Kai's friends helped him up. The fight was over and this time I had won.


End file.
